Don’t let those fields of green confuse you – most farming isn’t environmentally friendly. From animal waste to pesticides and fertilizers to plastic trash, farms take their toll on Mother Earth. But some companies are looking to help farms clean up – and green up – their act.
Converting Farm Waste to Fuel Makes for “Greener” Pastures
Three Ways the Oil Spill May Threaten Human Health
The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has many people fearing the environmental impact of pumping 210,000 gallons of toxic oil into a large marine ecosystem. But if the oil rig’s fluid-control systems fail, the expanding oil slick may also become a human health threat.
Little attention has been given to preparing for the worst-case scenario – a catastrophic failure of the BP Deepwater Horizon wellhead and fluid-control systems. Right now, the leaking oil pipes slow the amount of oil released by the rig. Should they fail, the oil slick could increase by 60,000 to 160,000 barrels per day – that’s the equivalent of one Valdez every two days.
Plastics Create Oil With Energy to Spare
 NewsUSA) – America’s quest to reduce its fuel consumption and dependence on foreign oil may lead it to look for energy sources in new places — like the bottom of a trash barrel.
JBI, Inc. (OTCBB:JBII), a global technology company, has developed a process, called Plastic2Oil (P2O), that converts raw, unwashed, unsorted plastic waste into a fuel similar to biofuel. In April 2010, an independent laboratory, Islechem, validated the P2O process through extensive chemical, analytical and process engineering testing. Islechem tested the process over 40 times using multicolored, mixed plastics. The laboratory determined that the P20 process is repeatable and can be done on a large scale. Approximately 85 to 90 percent of the hydrocarbon composition in the feedstock is converted into a “near diesel” fuel, while about 8 percent is converted to a usable off gas much like natural gas. In addition, only 1 percent of the plastic becomes residue, and that residue does not contain any highly toxic elements and is safe for landfill disposal. Even better, more energy is produced than consumed by the process. Early data suggest that the process creates twice as much energy as it uses. “It takes energy to produce energy. The key is to get more energy from the final product than it takes to make it,” said JBI, Inc. CEO John Bordynuik. “Our process has a high positive energy balance of 2.0, while gasoline from crude has a negative energy balance of 0.81.” The fuel produced by the P20 process has another major advantage over gasoline from crude oil — its production, including labor, costs only about $10 a barrel. Gasoline from crude oil uses more energy than it produces and currently costs between $75 and $85 a barrel — and yet gasoline companies yield high profits. A process like P20 could revolutionize the market by creating high-quality fuel at much lower costs, while also helping to reduce the amount of plastic that becomes pollution or ends up in landfills. JBI, Inc. is currently in talks to create P20 processing facilities in Europe, Florida, New York, California, Colorado, Wisconsin, Georgia and Ohio. The company is also looking for waste disposal or recycling companies, and people with under-utilized facilities to convert into P2O factories. For more information, visit www.plastic2oil.com or www.jbiglobal.com. |
Global Garden Report 2010: Survey Reveals Trends in U.S. Gardening
A “punk-rock” gardening revolution is occurring in the U.S., as found in Husqvarna and Gardena’s annual Global Gardening Report 2010.
Amateur gardeners reign supreme on the Internet, and the expert gardeners’ expertise is being challenged throughout the blogosphere. Bloggers are less apt to follow the gardening experts and pave their own way, perhaps a result of a lingering “damn-the-man” mentality due to the economic slide and rise in unemployment in the U.S. Many amateurs are even sharing their foliage failures via blogs to show and educate other gardeners. With social networking continuing to rise, Americans throughout the blogosphere are showing that it takes a village to raise a rosebush.
Three Ways Small Businesses Are Saving Money by Going Green
Saving the planet doesn’t just, well, save the planet – as many companies are learning, going green can cut costs, help marketing and improve employee morale. No wonder many small businesses are giving eco-friendly practices the green light.
From putting timers on computers to implementing recycling programs, companies find that saving energy reduces costs that affect the bottom line. Even better, many consumers prefer to buy from companies that embrace a green philosophy, as it makes them feel that their money’s supporting responsible businesses. When a company switches to hybrid cars or recycled paper, their employees think more highly of the organization to which they belong. Even small businesses who rent their facilities and can’t, say, install low-flow toilets or devote entire departments to reducing their carbon footprint can take small steps that make a big difference.
Supplement Maker Wins Verdict Over Imitator in Federal Court
 NewsUSA) – After a seven-day trial, a federal jury in Colorado rendered a verdict finding that Allergy Research Group (ARG), a subsidiary of the Kikkoman Corp. (OTC: KIKOF.PK), violated federal false advertising laws in marketing their product, “Russian Choice Immune,” as identical to the immune system support supplement Del-Immune V, previously marketed by ARG as Delta-Immune. The jury also determined that ARG misled buyers as to the product’s origin — Russian Choice Immune was actually developed and manufactured in Vietnam — then sent it to the U.S. without conducting any prior research, according to the testimony of ARG’s own expert, Dr. Ba Hoang.
Del-Immune V is a unique probiotic supplement made from the “good bacteria” lactobacillus rhamnosus (DV strain), authored in the Ukraine by Dr. Lubov Shynkarenko, Del-Immune vice president and former dean of the Biotechnology Institute at Kiev’s elite National Technical University. Manufactured by Boulder-based Pure Research Products LLC (PRP), the Del-Immune V dietary supplement provides immediate immune system support, helping the body defend itself from environmental invaders such as viruses and germs. It is also used to help the body deal with other health issues by strengthening the body’s natural immune response. When the probiotic’s cells break, they release immune-activating proteins that immediately prepare the immune system to fight foreign invaders. Those taking the supplement boost their general immune response, as well as more adequately prepare their bodies to resist germs and bugs. Del-Immune represents the culmination of 50 years of research originated by Cold War-era Soviet Bloc scientists and Russian military bio-warfare troop protection programs. PRP obtained exclusive rights to manufacture, distribute and market the DV strain from its Russian partners in 2002. “We conducted analysis of the counterfeit product and found that it did not have the characteristics of Del-Immune V,” said John Sichel, pharmacist and Del-Immune founder. “While we’re flattered that they would want to copy one of the most thoroughly researched and effective immune system supplements in the world, we’re happy that the jury recognized that this was confusing customers who want the immune system benefits of American-made Del-Immune V.” Del-Immune V is used by thousands and recommended by doctors around the world. For more information, please visit www.del-immune.com. |
Small Investments Lead to Reduced Energy Bills
With fuel costs on the rise, many consumers are wondering what they can do to reduce home energy bills. Making your home more energy-efficient can be surprisingly quick, easy and cost-effective.
Next time you’re out running errands, keep these five items on your list of things to buy, and you could start seeing the savings in no time:
1. Window insulation kit. Properly sealing drafty windows not only increases the comfort of your home, but may also significantly decrease your energy bills. Insulating windows is an inexpensive and effective way to keep warm air in and cold air out. Choose a product that can easily fit a variety of window sizes, such as the Roll-On Window Kit by Duck Brand, which requires no measuring and minimal cutting and is practically invisible.
Seeking Solutions for Plastic Medical Waste
div img class=”category-img” src=”http://ftper.newsusa.com/Thumbnail/MedicalWaste.jpg” alt=”Five words or less” width=”180″ //divdiv class=”category-listcontent”div class=”category-body” id=”ArticleBody” style=”display: block” (a href=”http://www.newsusa.com”NewsUSA/a) – Recycling efforts tend to center around plastic water bottles and milk jugs, but few people think about the plastics used in hospitals. IV bags, …/div/div
Should Food Waste Go Down the Drain?
 NewsUSA) – Americans hoping to live “greener” lives often tackle the kitchen first — after all, separating the recyclables seems easy enough. But proper waste disposal can be more complicated than tossing cans in a blue box.
What’s the best way to get rid of table scraps? Should the food waste go in the trash bag? The compost pile? Or down the kitchen sink? Putting food waste in the trash means it will be trucked to a landfill. Trucking food to landfills generates diesel fumes and emissions. And as food decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas. Composting is a good option but not always practical for people who live in high-rise buildings or in colder climates. Plus, experts advise against composting certain types of food, like meat and dairy. Numerous independent studies show using a garbage disposer is an environmentally responsible option. More than half of American kitchens have a disposer. On average, they cost less than 50 cents a year in electricity to operate and account for less than one percent of a household’s total water consumption. Recent advances in disposer technology, including the InSinkErator Evolution Series, make it possible to discard virtually any kind of food waste without concern about clogs or loud noises. Once food waste enters wastewater treatment plants, it can be recycled into methane and used as a renewable source of power for the plant. Also, many wastewater treatment plants can process food waste into bio-solids, which can be used as fertilizer. Here are some surprising facts about food waste: * The average U.S. family of four produces about 2,000 pounds of food waste each year. * According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, food waste is the third largest category of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the U.S., accounting for about 13 percent of MSW material. * Americans throw away more than 25 percent of the food we prepare, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those scraps are 70 percent water, which makes it easy for disposers to pulverize waste and send it through sewage pipes. For more information on how grinding food waste in a food waste disposer is environmentally responsible, visit www.insinkerator.com/green. |
Should Food Waste Go Down the Drain?
div img class=”category-img” src=”http://ftper.newsusa.com/Thumbnail/Disposers.jpg” alt=”Five words or less” width=”180″ //divdiv class=”category-listcontent”div class=”category-body” id=”ArticleBody” style=”display: block” (a href=”http://www.newsusa.com”NewsUSA/a) – Americans hoping to live “greener” lives often tackle the kitchen first — after all, separating the recyclables seems easy enough. But proper …/div/div
